ra

o the highest chamber in the Elders' tower. The roo

he table. It was the final approval f

d pressed it to the bottom of the page. The sanguine s

mory. The heavy oak door stood ajar. I stopped, my steps ar

through

table. Kaelen stood between her knees. She was toyin

l edge disguised as flirtation as she leaned toward his face. A small ass

hina demanded, her voice rising to ensure she wa

le and stomp their boo

r, his fingers closing over

go, feigning a loss of balance. She fell

ing for a fraction of a second before he

s howled th

d around his neck, an

a," she whispere

on the silver blade rather than her face-as if he couldn't

y shoulder bumped against the heavy oak door, causing it to swing

armory swiveled to

rom his chest with such force that she stumbled backward. Seraphina

d. "Shall we fetch a

heir mouths, their stifled giggles a testa

ward the door, h

tight. "I was just about to find you. I thought

with tension. My gaze traveled over that hand

words scraped from my throat

atch of moss in the crack between two flagstones, forcing my weight onto my right foot to take the f

to my side as I m

angered?" s

carefully secreted the trav

calm. "A future Alpha has the right t

packmate

I cut her off gently.

at something fundamental had change

ivered a note from Kaelen, a summons

from the courtyard, asking Kaelen to tak

a," Kaelen suggested

osed. I sat upon my bed, letting the cold darkness of the room settle around me,

ow. He stood there for a long moment, saying nothing. The

open the